Lincoln

It might lack the instant recognition factor of its more glamorous counterpart, but the accurately - if unimaginatively - named passage of Steep Hill in Lincoln's medieval centre can boast an incline that - just - outstrips Gold Hill.

Its daunting 16.12º gradient does not put off the puffing tourists, many of whom meander gently past the shops, pubs and cafes on The Strait before making their handrail-assisted ascent.

Lucy Barnard, who runs a gift shop near the top, said: "Lots of people like to pop into my shop and take a breather because I'm just after the steepest part of the hill."

Sheffield

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Jenkin Road was renamed Cote de Jenkin during the Tour de France 2014

A 45-mile dash westwards - for the hardy, perhaps a journey to be made by bicycle - brings this steady climb up England's most daunting inclines to the city of seven hills.

We are not talking about Rome, but of course Sheffield.

Many people believe Jenkin Road - which featured in the 2014 Tour de France route - is Sheffield's steepest, but its 11.02° gradient is actually puny compared to nearby Blake Street's sinew-straining 16.6°.

The fittingly named Olivia Blake, who moved here a year ago, said she had already come to the aid of three or four people whose cars had become stuck on the snow-covered hill.

"Once a parked car rolled down the hill and into the railings on the other side," she said.

This street's greatest claim to fame is its appearance in the 1997 film The Full Monty, where the striptease act members walk up the hill in search of a choreographer.

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The coolest strip of Sheffield? Blake Street featured in the popular film comedy The Full Monty

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It's also a tough challenge for cyclists

Great Malvern, Worcestershire

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Old Wyche Road boasts fine views of the Malvern Hills

But the streets of Sheffield have nothing on our next stop, the first of these terrifying hills to break through the vertigo-inducing 17º barrier.

The precipitous Old Wyche Road climbs up the eastern slopes of the Malvern Hills to the Wyche Cutting - a winding path thought to have once formed part of an Iron Age salt route.

It's claimed locally that to the east the next highest hills are the Urals in Russia, and these are blamed for the cold winds that sometimes whistle through the trees.

Sarah Smith, 42, has lived here on this 17.54º slope for eight years and says she feels "very lucky".

"We've got fantastic views of all the Malvern Hills and valleys. It doesn't matter how often you walk up this hill, it's always tiring.

"You've got to make sure you've got a good handbrake.

"In the snow we come down here in our sledges which you can get quite fast at. You've earned a pint when you get to the top."

Bristol

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The daddy of them all - Vale Street in Bristol

But the most lung-bursting of these English slopes is to be found down the M5, in Bristol's aptly named Totterdown district.

The inhabitants of Vale Street, who have a near 22º gradient to contend with, have every right to look down on the competition.

Helen Loney, who has lived here for 15 years, said it was "most famous" for its Easter Sunday egg-rolling contest.

"There's quite a large crowd that stand and throw hard-boiled eggs down the hill," she said. "It's always competitive and really good fun."

Image copyrightAnders FehonImage caption
Egg rolling is a tradition that takes place every Easter Sunday on Vale Street in Bristol

The science bit

Andy Steggall at OS said: "We selected each road from our blueprint map of Great Britain, from which the OS maps and digital data are derived.

"The calculation first involved defining the steepest section of the road, then cutting it in to 5m chunks, then applying more software to interpret the maximum and average slope data from the grid for each 5m piece of road.

"Then the results have been put back together and summarised to give the average slope across the length of each road."